Cool to see this thread.
We LOVED Balkman when he was on the Knicks. He was a nifty defender, a good shot blocker and he got a number of steals and obviously, a gifted rebounder too. He took risks, but fans like that in a player. He was aggressive and wirey and he used to annoy Lebron when he guarded him. (I'm not saying he stopped Lebron, but he tried) - Bron got mad at him a few times.
There was also a game against the Rockets when Yao was making the Knicks look silly - scoring at will, and isiah switched Balkman on Yao, and balkman didn't do a half bad job guarding the 7 and a half footer. He got 2 or 3 steals and he probably did a better job covering Yao than any of our PFs or undersized Centers did.
His 2nd year in NY wasn't as impressive as his rookie year and a many fans were disappointed in that. We thought he was a budding star, but he took a step backwards.
That off season, Isiah was out, Dantoni was in, and Balkman wasn't a Dantoni player and NY had 16 guys competing for 15 spots on the roster, and Dantoni liked Guard Anthony Roberson (nobody else liked him, but Dantoni did), so NY moved Balkman to Denver for a 2nd round pick (Many fans were very upset).
One of the guys on the Knicks Board met Balkman at Steve and Barry's, and he talked to him a bit. He asked why Balkman shopped at Steve and Barry's when he'd signed a first round pick / guaranteed contract and Balkman said something like "I'm from the hood" - don't quote me on that, but that's what I remember.
He said that Balkman was really easy going and down to earth. Very relaxed (he seemed like somebody who smoked pot before breakfast) - that kind of guy. - perhaps too relaxed for a professional athlete, but that he was a really nice guy and down to earth, the way he'd talk to somebody who just walked up to him.
He also said that Balkman had mad skinny arms - which is interesting when you think about how physical a player he is, but he's thin and wirey, not sure how strong he is, though he did manage 9 bench presses in the NBA pre-draft thing, which isn't to bad.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Ren ... lkman-588/ very long warms, (7'1 wingspan, just 6'5.25 height without shoes) and 4.9% bodyfat which is on the low side.
We used to say he was like a young Dennis Rodman, but he never really earned that title, though, as a rook, he looked like he might get there. Balkman was so exciting as a rookie that for that year, we didn't care about passing over Rondo or the guy everybody wanted - Marcus Williams.
When the Knicks drafted Balkman over Marcus Williams, the Boos in MSG could be heard as far as a mile a way. It's an annual event for NY fans to boo whoever the Knicks draft (unless it's Patrick Ewing), but the Balkman draft may have been the loudest any draft pick has ever been booed at MSG, perhaps even louder than the Frederick Weiss pick.
The fan reaction to balkman being drafted was one of outrage and bewilderment. He wasn't even listed as a 2nd rounder in many mocks and I don't think he was a first round projection in any, but, people from that draft class who had played against him had good things to say about Balkman.
He remains to this day, a fan favorite.
